Shoppers Seek Supplies as Ike Fades

Crowds of people stood in line and hundreds wrapped around a handful of grocery stores in Houston for the chance to buy food, water, batteries and other provisions. Chase Puig, 38, a U.S. Postal Service carrier in uniform was waiting in line to buy food. At home, he was without electricity like millions of others in the region. A few blocks away, dozens of other people were waiting in line to enter Lowe’s. Several of them were looking for tools to cut branches of fallen trees blocking streets or charcoal grills to cook food. A Lowe’s representative said the store had just received a delivery of 200 electricity generators from the East Coast.